
People use fake IDs for different reasons. Age limitations and other requirements prevent people from engaging in various activities. For instance, it’s illegal for teenagers to buy alcohol, get into bars, and drink. However, they can use fake IDs to do all these. Fake IDs can be misused for smuggling, payment fraud, eCommerce theft, and other serious crimes like terrorism, the mass proliferation of weapons, and human trafficking.
Thanks to easy access to technology, the black market can fake personal information, barcode encryption, and images to the extent that distinguishing fake IDs from real ones becomes challenging but not impossible. Here are a few ways to spot a fake ID.
1. Use ID scanners
The producers of fake IDs have sophisticated means of making them appear exactly like the real ones. A good fake ID or passport is hard to spot. However, an ID and passport scanner can help quickly tell whether the document is legitimate. It can determine whether an identity card’s barcode has details encoded or is scannable through a process known as ID parsing. Scanning an ID card into a networked ID scanner allows for multiple authenticity checks while recording the ID’s data in your system.
2. Look at the holographic laminate
Holographic laminates on IDs add an extra visual security layer. Government IDs, including identity cards, driver’s licenses, and smart cards, have holographic laminate for quick authentication by relevant authorities. Holographic laminate is difficult to replicate due to its critical technical requirements, and its design is customizable, making it secure.
Moving the document back and forth can help determine whether an ID is fake. The holographic laminate will appear as the card moves if the ID is genuine. If the card is fake, the holograms will be visible whether you move the card or sit it flat.
3. Inspect the microtext
Microtext printing is common in currencies and passports and is among the hardest features to replicate. When in an ID badge, micro text pops up on high-security cards and may appear on the back and front. The micro text should seem like a thin line during an initial ID badge inspection. Inspecting the ID badge under a magnifying glass or using a microscope, the lines appear as repeating text. If the micro text doesn’t appear, then the ID is fake.
4. Look for the laser engraving
Laser engraving is a secure monochrome card customization method that engraves features into the ID card body. You might know this security feature from a financial card, green card, or driver’s license. This offers highly durable and tamper-proof personalization, making manipulation and forgery impossible.
Any attempts to change engraved information results in visually evident damage on the card. Since laser engraving develops a security measure you can feel, running your finger over the text elements must sense the raised texture. If not, the ID isn’t real.
5. Examine the fonts
A counterfeit printer may not have access to and the ability to reproduce official ID fonts correctly. This is a security feature a printer may struggle with and is likely to make mistakes. Carefully look for fonts that seem like substitutes for authentic ones to determine if the ID is fake.
Endnote
Distinguishing fake IDs from real ones doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Use the tips above to spot fake IDs and deter fraudulent activity.